Before the Pooka comes we are having a last Autumnal forage to look for berries, greens, nuts and fungi in the beautiful Barrow Valley. The hedgerows are bursting with fruits, haws, hips and sloes. The Beech trees are laden with nuts and if the squirrels have left any nuts for us on the Hazel trees […]

There is something deeply satisfying about going into a beautiful wood looking for wild mushrooms .The combination of trees, undergrowth and stillness combined with the thrill of discovering some delicious edible fungi or getting to know some of the fantastic varieties that live in our broadleaf or coniferous woods appeals to us. Whether it is […]

On Friday night July 26th we are having a bat walk and talk with local expert Padraig Kavanagh. We are very luck yin Killedmond to have bats, not in the belfry but in the Old Rectory. On Friday 26th July we hope the weather will be suitable for a fascinating talk on bats by Padraig […]

On Saturday June 8th we will be taking to the hills for one of our monthly hikes into the wilderness. We will meet in Killedmond and then off into the remote valleys of the Blackstairs to high bogs and wild remote areas. We will hope to see upland birds such as Ravens, Kestrels, maybe Curlews, as well as Dippers on fast flowing mountain streams. We will pass through wild glens, bogs, and […]

Although there is snow on the mountains and a cold wind blowing across the Barrow Valley, Spring is on it’s way.

I was walking along the Barrow track this morning that magnificent long ,grassy walkway that runs for miles and miles , is full of the signs that winter is on the wane.

Two beautiful Mute Swans were looking at potential nesting sites; a Kingfisher flew upstream looking mighty pleased with himself. A Blackbird was singing it’s little heart out with that lovely mellifluous song […]

Longer days and a perceptible shift in the natural world, tells us that Spring has definitely arrived. In the Barrow valley the woods are beginning to wake up and the forest floor is teeming with a vibrant wild life from beetles to slugs, worms to small mammals. Life is getting interesting down here.

On Saturday February 23rd we will host our first Find It ,Pick It, Cook It, Eat It Workshop of 2013. We will go deep into the woods and see what is peeking up after the winter. Already I have had a sneak preview and there are lots of interesting leaves and salady things beginning to emerge. We will look for edible leaves, shoots and […]

About one hour ago we heard that we had got planning permission to develop our lovely old barn into a dedicated walking and Eco Tourism Centre. We are so delighted to get this news because it will enable us to welcome more walkers to Killedmond, host even more workshops and hold seminars and small conferences in a lovely building looking out over the Blackstairs Mountains.

It's all go here at Blackstairs Ecotrails as we salute the New Year and plan our calendar of events for you. I hope it's a Happy and Healthy New Year and that you will be able to get out into the great outdoors in this unique little corner in the South East of Ireland, tucked under the Blackstairs and close to the marvellous River Barrow.